Whats involved

[Bobbin]

Help!!

Can anyone tell me what is involved in classes such as Working Hunter Open, Novice Ridden for horse and rider and Ridden Hunter Pony.

I am going to a show this weekend and thought I'd best choose some classes but would like a heads up in what I should expect from the classes.....and what type of gear should I wear..hacking jacket or SJ gear??

[Daffy Dilly]

Tweed definately. ;)

Working Hunter of any sort involves going in individually and jumping a course of fences in a hunting manner (ie not backing off and then riding on, it should be smooth, flowing and appear effortless) then doing a group go around followed by individual shows/judge riding on the flat.

Novice ridden normally follows the format of any other class - group go around followed by individual shows, but the judges tend to be a little more lenient, and it's the sort of class which can and does attract a lot of real novices (as opposed to those with quite a bit of riding experience/well behaved horses that just haven't shown before), so it's one where it pays to be extra attentive to what everybody else is doing. A lot of the time it's judged on potential, as obviously the combinations aren't show ring veterans, and it's a good way of gaining experience.

Ridden hunter pony is a group go around and individual show (inc gallop) class. Pony will have to be plaited for this one, the other two you can probably get away without it.

[Bobbin]

Ok...will all classes need to be ridden in a snaffle??

Plaiting is NOT an option, believe me, I've tried.. Brys barnet will not go into plaits

[Daffy Dilly]

Snaffle or pelham with two reins.

Perhaps give hunter pony a miss then as the type has to be pulled and plaited, working hunter pony will be ok though. If there is a Riding club pony class you could do that, or even native type.

[Bobbin]

Yeah there is a riding horse class.....not sure how the breaks will work in a snaffle...oh well we'll see.
Can't do Native as Bry isnt a purebred, she's a mongrel!

[Daffy Dilly]

She's not suitable for riding horse, that's a type class as well. Ridden horse she would be fine for.

She'd be better going HC in native than hunter pony, does it specify registered? You could ask to go in for the experience, and just say she's an unregistered welshie or something similar.

[Bobbin]

Mmmm I'm not sure if its riding horse or ridden horse.....will check.

So lets get this right, she can do working hunter pony and she can do ridden horse but not riding horse...whats the difference????

Erh what does HC mean also...I've tried passing her off as a welsh but she has far to much feather....and she's not cobby enough to do the cob classes.

[eventerbabe]

aren't working hunter ponies supposed to be relatively fine and light (unless it's M&M WHP)? have watched the WHP classes at the highland and Bry does not fit that type. riding horses too are light weight. Ridden horse could cover any number of definitions, what does the schedule say?

I agree with daffy dilly, i think she'd be best suited in an M&M/native class. She's certainly not a welsh, but you could simply describe her as a native cross. Friend of mine had a cobby native-looking type pony and did ok in local M&M classes.

HC means hors concours, you participate but don't actually compete to win anything. You see it a lot in dressage and showjumping, a horse doing a lower level class 'HC' either to warm up or settle them down and get them focused.

[Mehitabel]

read my website! http://rehorses.com

these are riding horses - http://rehorses.com/RH_definition.html , while 'ridden horse' just means a horse who is ridden. HC means hors concours, not competitive. if ther is a 'cob type' (not show cob) then try that, also family pony. she is not a hunter pony either - that's these - http://rehorses.com/SHP_definition.html
take a look through the links on the site and see if you can find a calss she woud suit - there are ilustrations of all of them here - http://rehorses.com/classes.html . she will need to be plaited for everything though, really, apart from the novelty classes.

[Bobbin]

http://www.badgwortharena.co.uk/

Here's the link, its the hunter show this Sunday....

I cannot plait her up as in little balls but can plait her normally...seriously I have tried and her mane is far to long and thick......

I can't enter a Mountain and Moorland class if she's a part bred though can I?

[Mehitabel]

out of that, class 7 looks like your best bet.

really, for showing at anything above very local level, it is plait or don't enter, i'm afraid.

[Herbie's mummy]

Agree with the above
WHP or WHH should really be plaited, UNLESS it's the M&M WH.
Also she is a bit thick to be classes as a WHP.
And are you sure your up for the Open?..... there will be ponies in there have have been doing WH tracks for a while and know there stuff and of corse the jumps will be larger.

None of that was meant to sound nasty by the way :)
good luck what ever you do :)
xx

[Bobbin]

out of that, class 7 looks like your best bet.

really, for showing at anything above very local level, it is plait or don't enter, i'm afraid.

It is only local...anyway, someone has suggested I might be able to do an Arab plait....yes....no??

So could I not do the Ridden Hunter pony? Will that entale jumps ....and plaits?

[chickflick1066]

EB - I think any 'type' can do the workers. I've seen M&Ms in WHP classes alongside your typical 'show' WHPs.

What a nice show Karen, I'd love to give Class 1 and 2 a go! And a few of the other jumping classes!

Best of luck :D

[Mehitabel]

It is only local...anyway, someone has suggested I might be able to do an Arab plait....yes....no??

So could I not do the Ridden Hunter pony? Will that entale jumps ....and plaits?

the somebody was me! ;) if you want to go, then arab plait and go, but be aware you may be marked down for the unconventional plait. local shows vary on how uptight they are on htis kind of thing. some have 'aspirations' and can be snippy, others are there for fun and accept that not everyone shows as a first discipline and for some it';s just a day out so things won;t be perfect.
bobbin is not a hunter pony - you can of course enter it, but you won;t do well. it's judged on type of horse, so just like you won't do well in an arab class because she's not one, she is not a hunter pony either. it won;t entail jumps - working hunter is the jumping.

[Bobbin]

I'm not going to this show now anyway, have been made to feel kind of inferior if you want the truth...am only looking for a bit of fun and a nice day out with my horse and some friends.

we will be attending another show where we will be doing novice combination and a part bred mountain and moorland class.....although I have lost the schedule!!

[Mehitabel]

it doesn't seem from the schedule like that one is a nice day out kind of show - it sounds more high powered. hae fun at the one you go to! :)

[Bobbin]

it doesn't seem from the schedule like that one is a nice day out kind of show - it sounds more high powered. hae fun at the one you go to! :)

If you want to see high powered I must post a link of one I found yesaterday......I was so confused, I just gave up, it seemed they were having 12 of the same classes all with a different name:eek:
The one we were going to wasn't that 'serious', it was just held at a nice place......but I feel happier going to the other one.

[Mehitabel]

perhaps go tothe badgworth one without horse and see what it's like? then if they have moreo f the same later in the year you'll know if it's likely to suit you. then you can see the standard of turnout and the flexibility at that particular show and see if it's the kind of thing you're looking for. as i ithink i said onthe other thread, local shows do vary a lot in how relaed they are and the standard of riders - some attract 'pot hunters' on their posh and immaculate horses just there for the prize money, while others are a more fu nand firendly vibe with normal people and normal horses.